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Migration to MediumFast

We flipped our mesh to the MediumFast modem preset effective October 1, 2025.

Warning

If you have a filter on your node, make sure it's compatible with the MediumFast frequency before continuing. LongFast (slot 20) operates at 906.875 MHz. MediumFast (slot 45) operates at 913.125 MHz.

MediumFast Flyer

Click the image above to access the auto-configuration URL or scan the QR code using your phone's camera.

Note

This link will set the following settings:

  • MediumFast LoRa modem preset with frequency slot of 45

  • Hop limit to 5

  • MediumFast as primary channel (0) with default PSK of AQ==

  • LongFast as secondary channel (1) with default PSK of AQ==

This will NOT change your node's network role (Client, Client_Mute, etc.)

Why We're Moving Modem Presets

All Meshtastic devices default to LongFast out of the box. That's a great preset for getting a small mesh off the ground, but once you get more than 60 nodes chatting in an area, you start getting message collisions. More collisions means dropped packets, network congestion and decreased performance. Considering that some node DBs have more than 200 nodes and channel usage above 45%, we're well past that threshold for migration.

The good news is that this isn't uncharted territory by any means. There are several meshes that have already flipped modem presets. Meshtastic also posted a post on their blog detailing when and why a mesh should flip presets.

Migrating Your Node to MediumFast

There are multiple ways to migrate your node to MediumFast. The easiest way is to use the QR Code above. If that's not your vibe, there are other methods of migration outlined below.

Back that Node Up

Before you start tinkering, it's ALWAYS a good idea to back your current settings up. Thankfully it's easy to do with the Meshtastic apps or the Meshtastic CLI. Below is a quick way of backing up your node's settings using the CLI:

meshtastic -t {NODE_IP_HERE} --export-config > node_settings.yml

Remember, a backup is usless unless you're able to restore it. To restore your settings, run the following command:

meshtastic -t {NODE_IP_HERE} --configure node_settings.yml

Migrating Options

Loading from a YAML Configuration

If we had to pick, this is our favorite way to migrate settings. We have a condensed YAML configuration file that will only change the specific settings that we tell it to. All you have to do is download the YAML file to your local machine and then and restore the settings.

Here's an example of how to do that:

  1. Download the YAML file to your local machine or your phone.
  2. Connect to your node using the Meshtastic CLI or an app of your choice.
  3. Restore the custom configuration you downloaded in step 1. It will only overwrite the settings provided, so your node names and security keys won't be touched.

The benefit of this migration process is that it actually changes some other settings such as node update intervals that the standard QR code doesn't do. The downside is that it's not as intuitive as scanning an image or clicking a URL.

Using the Meshtastic CLI

This method is pretty straight-forward, for what it's worth. You'll need to install the Meshtastic CLI to accomplish this. You can find the installation instructions here.

You can connect to the node via IP, Bluetooth, or Serial. For this example we'll use an IP-based connection.

meshtastic -t {yourNodeIpHere} --ch-set-url https://meshtastic.org/e/#CgcSAQE6AggNCg0SAQEaCExvbmdGYXN0EhQIARAEOAFAA0gBUB5oAcAGAcgGAQ
Mobile App Manual Migration

Listen, I'm only writing up this section because some of y'all are sadists and like to do things the hard way. You do you, but also why?

To migrate to MediumFast using touch-ops, you'll want to do the following:

  1. Navigate to your node's settings and click on LoRa

    a. Ensure Use Modem Preset is set to True

    b. Set the Modem Preset to MediumFast

    c. Set your Hop Limit to 5

    d. Set your Frequency Slot to 45

    e. Set Ignore MQTT to True

    f. Set OK to MQTT to True

    g. Touch Save to commit the changes

  2. Navigate to the channels setting tab

    a. Ensure that your Primary channel (channel 0) has the channel name MediumFast. If that's not the case, touch the channel and rename it to MediumFast. Spelling matters, so be careful.

    b. Make sure that your PSK is AQ==. This is the default PSK for all default channels.

    c. This is optional, but set LongFast as your secondary channel with a PSK of AQ==. This will allow you to receive messages from bridged nodes who are piping messages from the LongFast nodes to the new modem preset.

    d. Touch Save to commit the changes.

See our guide on recommended configurations for additional node settings.

Setting up a LongFast Bridge Network

It's totally possible to create a network bridge between the 2 modem presets. You can have 2 radios on the same local area network (LAN) or even have a single linux box connected to 2 radios at once. Check out this blog post for an example on how to run 2 meshtasticd interfaces at the same time using a docker network.